Premier Kathleen Wynne’s emboldened majority Liberals will unveil an activist agenda in a speech from the throne that promises to “build Ontario up.”

The speech, to be delivered in the legislature by Lt.-Gov. David Onley on Thursday afternoon, says Wynne will govern from the “activist centre” using “evidence before ideology, choosing partnership over partisanship.”

Finance Minister Charles Sousa said Ontarians should not be surprised what’s in store.

“The throne speech will reaffirm lots of things that we’ve already discussed in our budget and in our plan throughout the campaign,” said Sousa, who will re-table the May 1 budget on July 14.

“It’s about investing in the things that matter (and) being disciplined and determined in our spending so that we control our costs, balance the books appropriately,” he said in an interview, acknowledging there’s a $12.5-billion budget deficit.

Sousa’s comments came the same day Moody’s Investor Services affirmed Ontario’s Aa2 credit rating, but changed the province’s economic outlook to negative from stable.

In the coming legislative session, Wynne will also embark upon her first foreign trade mission since succeeding Dalton McGuinty in February 2013 — joining other provincial and territorial leaders on a premiers’ Team Canada trip to China this fall.

While her controversial predecessor was practically persona non grata at Queen’s Park during her first 17 months in office, McGuinty and his wife, Terri, will be among Wynne’s special guests for the 2 p.m. throne speech.

The premier had distanced herself from him over his decision to cancel gas-fired power plants in Oakville and Mississauga before the 2011 election to save five Liberal MPPs’ seats.

But the gas plants debacle, which could cost up $1.1 billion over 20 years, did not hurt the Liberals at the polls June 12 as Wynne won the majority government that had eluded McGuinty for almost three years ago.

Aaron Vincent Elkaim / THE CANADIAN PRESS

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne (front and centre) applauds along with fellow newly elected Ontario Liberal MPPs during a swearing in ceremony Wednesday.

Still, the throne speech will allude to the imbroglio, emphasizing the new government “knows that trust is hard-earned, but easily lost.”

It will also point to her ongoing efforts toward improving transparency that are designed to ensure such fiascos are avoided in the future.

Grit insiders said “building” is the overarching theme of Wynne’s new plan for governing.

That refers to building talents and skills; building $130 billion in infrastructure over the next decade, including $15 billion for Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area transit and $1 billion toward the Ring of Fire chromite mining effort in northern Ontario; building a better business climate; and building retirement security.

Once implemented in the next few years it will bolster the Canada Pension Plan that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has refused to improve even though it pays out only a maximum of $12,000 in annual benefits to retirees.

The ORPP will be mandatory for Ontarians who do not have a pension plan and would mean an additional $788 deduction from the salary of someone making $45,000 a year.

Because it would also entail matching contributions from employers, critics have argued the forced savings scheme is a payroll tax that could cost jobs.

That minority Liberal budget sparked the election when the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats said they could not support it.

With a majority of 57 seats, excluding Speaker Dave Levac, in the 107-member legislature the Grits no longer need any opposition backing.

“We’re going to balance the books by (2017-18). We’re taking determined steps to control our spending . . . and we are looking at all alternatives, including our asset management to ensure that we increase our dividends and our revenues,” Sousa said.

A blue-ribbon panel of volunteers headed by Ed Clark, president and CEO of TD Bank Group, will advise Sousa on how to make more money out of assets like the LCBO booze monopoly as well as provincial energy utilities, Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation.

Their report is expected by year’s end and it is unclear how much, if any, privatization there will be.

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